Mayor Dearl Hilyer announced that the town of Thorsby has been awarded a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant at Monday’s Town Council meeting.

The grant will be used to replace the bridge on West Medical Center Drive that lacks adequate weight requirements to legally carry school buses, service vehicles or emergency vehicles.

It was released that the grant was approved last Thursday.

“This is my first big grant since I’ve been here for two years,” said Hilyer. “We got the citizens involved. Sophia McCary headed the citizens to write letters for the grant.”

A public hearing was held in June to get the input of the citizens regarding the town’s proposal to replace the bridge, and a resolution was passed to apply for the grant in July.

The town will have to match $4,639.75, and the difference between the bridge and the grant will go toward road paving.

Hilyer will be attending the application approval in Perdido Beach.

In other business, a new commercial permit building application was approved. The building designer, fire department, town engineer and zoning officials will have to sign off on the application.

Fire Chief R.L. Gunn of the Thorsby Fire Department announced that they have ended the smoke detector grant and from that $500 will be going back to the fire department.

Also, there will be two fire trucks running in the Santa Run on Christmas Eve this year, and the fire department asks if anyone is having a Christmas party to please inform them so they can stop by.

Terry Jackson spoke about Paw Paw Pantry, a food drive by Collins Chapel Baptist Church. He asks if anyone is interested in donating to drop dry foods or monetary donations off at the Town Hall or Collins Chapel Baptist Church.